1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to light refractors and more particularly those used with outdoor luminaires and other lighting fixtures. The refractors are stackable or nestable together in numbers for convenient shipment without requiring any spacer blocks or other packing devices commonly used to prevent nested objects such as refractors from wedging together when subjected to rough handling or the like during shipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been desirous when shipping numbers of light refractors formed of glass or plastic materials used with indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures and lamps to provide means for supporting and separating the units in order to prevent breakage. In addition, when units are nested or stacked, wedging together of the units often occurred and ultimately resulted in breakage of the refractors when attempts were made to separate a pair of units tightly wedged together.
U.S. Pat. No. 959,489 discloses a system for packing fragile articles such as glass lamp shades and this system requires the use of a separate central column and a plurality of stacking-spacers.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,012,533 discloses a stackable lamp guard made up of wire.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,146,515 discloses a packing or shipping box in which lamp shades are arranged in a stack and corrugated paper board spacers are provided to prevent breakage and to prevent contact between the adjacent lamp shades in the stack.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,462,497 discloses an ice cream cup of novel design intended for packing together in a stack or nested condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,780,243 discloses a novel plastic valve cap which can be assembled with others in a stacking arrangement.
U.S. Pat No. 3,122,296 discloses nestable cups.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,539,552 discloses a stackable thin wall tub, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,877 discloses nestable drums.
None of the aforementioned U.S. Patents disclose a nestable or stackable annular refractor which requires no separate spacing elements or packing rings to provide security against damage and inadvertent wedging.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved nestable or stackable light refractor and more particularly a light refractor of the character described which does not require separate spacers or the like to prevent wedging or binding engagement between the refractors when arranged in a stack or nest for shipment.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved light refractor having annular prismatic rings on an outer surface thereof with one of the rings being useful in preventing wedging engagement between the rings on one refractor and the inner surface of an adjacent refractor to be nested therewith.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel light refractor of the character described in which one of the outer prismatic rings serves a dual function of refracting the light as desired and provides support means for preventing any wedging engagement between refractors when placed coaxially together in a stack or nested arrangement.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved annular hollow refractor for use with lighting fixtures and the like which provides a novel system for supporting the refractors in multiples stacked together to conserve space.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved annular hollow refractor which has novel means for preventing any wedging or binding engagement between the surfaces of adjacent refractors placed in a nested or stacked arrangement.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved light refractor of the character described which may be conveniently arranged in nested together stacks in relatively large numbers for conserving space for shipment and without requiring any separators or other spacing devices to prevent contact between adjacent units.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved nestable or stackable refractor of the character described which includes means for maintaining a stack of several refractors in end to end coaxial relationship.